Four Handy Resources to Find a Fostered Dog

Why a fostered dog? It’s the best way to get a best-fit pup.

When my husband and I were looking for our first house, the real estate agent warned us, “Don’t fall in love at first sight.” Those wise words are also true when choosing a furry friend for your home. Don’t let your heart lead. For your sanity, the health of your pet, and a positive start to a long-term relationship, let logic rule.

In my recent post, How to Find the Perfect Starbucks Pup, I wrote about the value of adopting a dog from a foster home. The “profile” created by the care giver at a foster home is your inside scoop on the personality and needs of the dog whose picture you’ve fallen in love with online. That profile may tell you if that cute pooch with a shock of gray forelock likes other dogs, cats or kids. It may tell you if that retriever really likes to retrieve or if a pup has medical issue requiring a life-long commitment of money and time.

Before you read further, make a list. Write out all of the qualities you can imagine that define your perfect pooch. Rank your list to ensure the most important wishes rise to the top. No dog will be so perfect as to check every item. A ranked list, however, helps you temper your expectations and focus on the most important qualities that align with your goals.

Got a partner or a family? Invite them into the conversation. Have them add to the list and rank it. Help them understand what your goals are. Listen to theirs. The more the decision comes from a place of agreement rather than coercion, the better the human-dog-home experience will be.

After you have a clear idea of the type of dog that will work best for you and your household, use the resources below to search for a best-fit friend.

The following comes with a warning – cute faces ahead! Steel your will from choosing the first one that tugs at your heartstrings. Make calls. Ask questions. Do a meet and greet. Plan to walk away if it doesn’t feel right. There are plenty of dogs looking for homes. Your best friend awaits!

1.       Petfinder Almost all of the animals that found temporary shelter in our home found their forever home through the Petfinder platform. It is an amazing search engine with sort functions for location, distance from your home, breed, age, size, gender, good with kids/dogs/cats, care, behavior…Click on an animal that has caught your eye to get the story as told from the foster’s perspective. Be sure to read the whole story, especially any “needs” parts. You’ll want to know what kind of investment of time and money you’re likely to commit.

2.       Petco Love, formerly the Petco Foundation, uses the Adopt a Pet search engine. It features animals in need of homes who are either in foster care or a rehoming program that enables them to live at home until a new one is found.

3.       Chewy, the online pet products powerhouse, has their own search engine for finding adoptable pets being fostered through rescues and shelters.  

4.       Local animal shelters and rescues often have fostering programs. There aren’t enough spaces in most shelters to house all the animals in need. Foster homes provide that space. Care givers provide the insight into temperament and needs.

If your search gives you “analysis paralysis,” don’t fret. I have a solution. Foster to adopt! Many organizations with fostering programs offer the foster-to-adopt option. You get the emotional and financial support of a local organization while you get to know the dog. If it’s not a great fit, care for the dog through adoption, then foster another. If it is a great fit, adopt!

Foster-to-adopt helps space-stressed facilities reduce overcrowding. It also brings more people into the fostering system.

Another warning: Fostering dogs is like trying to eat potato chips. It’s difficult to stop at just one!

Dear readers, if you adopted a dog from a foster home, I’d love to hear your stories below!

June is Foster a Pet Month. Here are some posts readers have enjoyed on that topic.

If You Can’t Afford Pets Should You Have Pets?

How to Find the Perfect Starbucks Pup

8 Ways to Love Dogs in a Dog-Less Home

I bet you know of one or more people looking for a companion. Please share this with them, so they can find their best-fit pet.